TW: Mentions of self-harm and attempted suicide.
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After landing on Sokovia, Lorna took Bucky to the Sokovian Memorial, a monument assembled in memory of the victims of the Battle of Sokovia in 2015. It featured a tall statue depicting a traditional Sokovian family in its center.
The heavy silence between them proved they didn't finish their conversation after the stewardess's interruption. Lorna was trying to come to terms with her newfound jealousy, and Bucky tried to understand why her reaction caused him too much satisfaction.
"I thought you'd be here sooner," Zemo commented as he stood facing the statue, as Lorna had predicted. "Don't worry, James. I've decided I'm not going to kill you."
"Imagine my relief," Bucky replied sarcastically, holding a gun in his flesh hand.
The Baron turned and approached the duo.
"The girl had been radicalized beyond salvation. I warned Sam, but he didn't listen to me. He's as stubborn as Steve Rogers before him."
"I guess that's a required trait for Captain America. Endless hope." Lorna pointed out.Helmut nodded, opening a small smile at the woman in agreement.
"But you, James, they literally programmed you to kill. Do what needs to be done. Karli has people everywhere, and there's only one way to make sure she cannot continue her mission."
The Sokovian female pursed her lips. She didn't like when people suggested Bucky be an assassin. That was the Winter Soldier, and Bucky was never he.
"I appreciate the advice," the former Sergeant replied monotonously with his husky voice. "But we're gonna do it our own way."
Zemo chuckled softly. "Yeah. I was afraid you would say that."
Bucky clicked the handgun and pointed it at Zemo's face, who seemed to embrace his fate. When he pulled the trigger, nothing came off. The White Wolf smiled at the noble's surprised face and dropped the blank bullets out of his Vibranium hand, proving he wasn't a murderer anymore.
The Dora Milaje, led by Ayo, arrived then to arrest Zemo.
"Ladies..." he greeted them and then faced Bucky again. "I took the liberty of crossing off my name in your book. I hold no grudges for what you thought you had to do." The former Winter Soldier nodded. "Goodbye, James." His attention focused on Lorna. "He is an idiot if he doesn't notice the amazing woman you are. If we were under different circumstances, I would've invited you for dinner."
Lorna blinked.
"Maybe I would've accepted."
Zemo nodded as if that was enough. "If you ever plan on going to Latvia again," he fished a key out of his coat pocket, handing it to her. "Make good use of it. It was a pleasure working with you, Ms. Maximoff."
"The pleasure was mine, Baron," she nodded respectfully, pocketing the key to his house.
Yama and Nomble took him away.
"We will take him to the Raft, where he'll live out his days," Ayo told them. "It would be prudent to make yourself scarce in Wakanda for the time being, White Wolf."
"Fair enough," Bucky complied.
"And you, Polaris. Princess Shuri and Okoye still await your visit."
"I'll remember that. Thank you, Ayo."
The women shared a last smile before the second in command left.
"Hey!" Bucky called, eliciting a curious glance from Lorna. "I may have another favor to ask of you."
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"I always knew you were a softie," Lorna teased Bucky once they decided to return to Latvia together and stay at Zemo's house he just had passed to her.
They used the same air company to return to the country, but due to their previous inconvenience, they weren't charged for the tickets, and no flight attendant bothered them this time.
"You're delusional," he countered, sitting on the couch after getting a drink for himself and Lorna.
The woman situated herself on the table in the living room and turned on the new tablet she had just bought, starting to sketch some new designs.
"You and Sam bicker like an old couple, yet you still asked for a new uniform and set of wings for him. Who are you trying to fool?" She smirked, sipping the whiskey.
"You should have that door fixed," the former brainwashed soldier changed the topic, nodding to the door John Walker broke.
"I already took care of it."
"Really?" He raised a brow skeptically.
"Stark Industries," was all she said before diving into work.
"Of course," he grumbled to himself. "By the way, we never finished the conversation we started on the plane." Bucky stood from the couch and joined her on the table, taking a peek at her work. She was talented. "How did you know Zemo was in Sokovia?" His breath fluttered her green locks, causing a shiver to run down her spine.
"If I were about to get arrested, I would've liked to bid farewell to the most important people in my life." Lorna locked her green eyes on his blue ones and couldn't help but admire how beautiful and sad they were.
"What's up with the hair?" The White Wolf found himself asking. "And the uniform? I didn't know you could control Vibranium."
"After getting mind-controlled, I discovered some powers I didn't know I had." She looked down at the green glow surrounding her twirling fingers, missing the flabbergasted look Bucky shot her.
"Mind control?!"
Lorna pursed her lips, attracting the man's attention to them. Sitting side by side, he had never been so close to her before, and the small distance between them allowed him to notice every single detail about the woman, concluding that Lorna Maximoff was the most stunning person he had met.
"After defeating Thanos, Wanda created an alternative reality where she could be happy, controlling the minds of an entire city along the way. Including mine."
"That's sick," he admonished.
"I'm not one to judge since I was a willing participant."
"Why?"
"Because I couldn't trust myself after losing Tony."
He nodded as if he understood. He had an idea but wouldn't press for more information.
"You were that close, huh?"
"Yeah," she murmured softly before resuming her work.
"Why aren't you taking mandatory therapy, though?"
Lorna chuckled. "Who knows," she shrugged. "But I wouldn't open up about my problems with a stranger. I wonder who would fair better with Dr. Reynor."
For the first time, Bucky opened a smile in amusement. "I don't tell her anything, and she still gets to make me talk. She's infuriating."
"Oh, don't I know."
Her eyes lowered to his lips before meeting his blue orbs again. She could smell his cologne and see the stubble adorning his sharp jaw. The wrinkles on the corner of his eyes and mouth only added to his charm. Lorna closed her eyes and pressed her lips back to the soft ones that clashed against them. She didn't know how long it had been since Bucky's last kiss, but he was one hell of a kisser.
Bucky put a hand on the back of her neck to pull her closer, and Lorna held tightly to his shirt while their tongues danced together.
As the kiss escalated, they separated to breathe.
"That was..." Lorna trailed off, trying to choose between "amazing," "incredible," or "wonderful."
"Wrong," Bucky finished her sentence, shaking her out of her stupor.
The green-haired woman felt like someone threw a bucket of cold water on her, drenching her to the core. Her heart fell as she watched the man turn his back on her, passing his hand through his hair and sighing in aggravation.
Lorna averted her eyes, afraid of what she knew he'd say.
"This was wrong," he repeated as if the first time wasn't enough to pierce her chest painfully. "I shouldn't have done that. We shouldn't have done that."
She wanted to ask him, "why not?" but the rejection got the words stuck in her throat. So, she didn't stop him when he left the building. She didn't stop him when he left her.
The mutant tried to rationalize, knowing there wasn't a reason for their kiss to be wrong, but the unexpected hurt she felt from his reaction didn't let the logic set in. Instead, it brought back the thought of all the people she lost and the belief that she wasn't good enough.
Pursing her lips and swallowing the pain, Lorna kept working on the designs, wanting to send them to Shuri as soon as possible so she could part ways with Bucky.
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"Yeah, Peps, I'm fine!" Lorna insisted for the third time.
Pepper had called the young woman when she drove her rented car to the Wilson's after landing in Louisiana. She had heard the news about the last events with the new Captain America, and the blonde woman wanted to be sure her daughter's godmother was fine.
"I know, I know," she conceded. "How are Sam and Bucky?"
"Frustrated but alive. I'm heading to Sarah's now. Sam's probably there."
"What about Bucky?"
"What about Bucky?" Lorna shot back because, really, what about Bucky?
"That was Steve's shield," Pepper said as if it was obvious. "I don't think he took lightly what John Walker did."
Lorna sighed tiredly. "I suppose he's coping. He's angry, but the shield is back to Sam. That's what matters. It's not like we had a heart-to-heart conversation."
"Are you still mad at what he did to Tony?"
"I was mad at Steve," she corrected. "But I'm over it, just like Tony was over it. I was never mad at Bucky. At least not for the things the Winter Soldier did."
"Then what's wrong? You know you can't hide anything from me."
Silence ensued between the two women to the point that Pepper thought Lorna had hung up. She was about to call her name when the Sokovian replied.
"I like him," she admitted. "Bucky. I like him. He's charming, sarcastic, funny, and unfalteringly loyal."
"Not to forget, handsome," Pepper added, teasing the girl's crush. It was the first time Lorna mentioned having feelings for someone, so she took the opportunity to enjoy it.
"That too," Lorna's voice got quieter.
"But?" The head of Stark Industries urged.
"But, according to him, it's wrong."
"What is wrong?"
"Us. Me."
"Why?"
"I don't know," Lorna shrugged, feigning indifference. Pepper knew it was a defense mechanism. She learned how to recognize it because Tony was the same. They'd pretend they didn't care about things and people, distancing themselves emotionally to avoid getting hurt. "I didn't ask. I don't think he would've given me an answer."
Pepper pursed her lips, trying to control de rising concern in her chest. She didn't know what could trigger something in Lorna, so she had to tread carefully.
"Lori-"
"You don't have to worry," Lorna cut her off, fed up with how Pepper always treated her like a timebomb. "I won't do anything you have to worry about. I'm visiting Sarah. I'll play with her kids. I'll try to convince her to accept money. And that's it. I won't freak out because the guy I like doesn't feel the same."
"I-I'm sorry," Pepper tried.
"I know you're trying to take care of me, but you must trust me," Lorna blinked her eyes to dissipate the tears clouding her sight. She was still driving, damn it! "It hurts. His rejection hurts. But I'll be fine. Do you know why?"
"Why?" The widow gasped out.
"Because I have you and Morgan. I have Sarah, her kids, and Sam. I also have Shuri, Okoye, and Ayo. Sometimes I have Peter, too," she listed. "I'm not alone. I know that now. You showed it to me."
Pepper didn't answer, but Lorna heard her sniffs and sobs.
"I should be the one comforting you," Pepper chuckled.
"I don't need comfort. I need support."
"And you have it. I promise."
"I know. Thank you, Peps. I'll call you another time, okay? I just arrived."
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Sarah was surprised when Lorna arrived at her house, and instead of the usual greetings and hugs to the boys, she went straight to her for a tight embrace and started shaking in Sarah's arms. Tears of grief, pain, and loss rolled down her face.
The Black woman pulled her friend to the living room, not asking more questions. She helped Lorna settle on the couch and held her for as long as the green-haired woman needed.
Twenty minutes in, Cass and AJ showed up, but their mother shooed them away. The two boys dashed out of the house, not wanting to upset Lorna even more, even though they didn't know why she was crying. But being protective of their Aunt Lori, they also didn't let Sam get inside the place when he arrived.
"Thank you, Sarah," Lorna sniffed once she had no more tears to cry. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize. Do you wanna talk about it?"
Lorna shook her head. "I need some fresh air."
"You know where to find me."
After Lorna left, Sam confronted Sarah about not selling the boat. They discussed fixing it but not being able to afford it. Eventually, Sam came up with the idea to ask the community for help.
"By the way, what happened to Lori?"
Sarah stopped whatever she was doing in the kitchen and sighed. "I don't know. She showed up crying, then left. I'm worried about her, Sam. I'm scared she might break."
"What do you mean?" His eyes widened at the terrible picture that formed in his head.
"I shouldn't tell you this," she shook her head. "She's been through a lot, Sam. And I don't think she took the time to grieve. I think something triggered it."
"I'm gonna talk to her," he raised from his seat in determination.
"Wait! She'll get mad at me for telling you this!"
"No, she won't, Sarah," Sam reassured. "She knows you-- we mean well. We gotta help her!"
"Okay, fine," she sighed.
The Falcon found the Sokovian woman by the pier, contemplating the water and the sun. She wasn't crying anymore, but her red eyes were evidence enough that she did at some point.
He sat beside her quietly and watched the scenery with her. They stayed in quiet companionship for a couple of minutes, with Lorna sipping the beverage until she felt ready to talk.
"It started after the Sokovia Accords," she began with a soft voice, barely a whisper. "I had lost my home country, and my brother, and then Wanda became a fugitive. I felt guilty and hopeless."
"What happened?"
"Pills." She didn't offer more details but he could fill in the blanks. "Tony helped me out." Lorna took off her fingerless gloves and pulled up her jacket's sleeve, showcasing the fine lines on her wrists, and the sight watered his eyes. "These were after the Snap, when Tony got lost in Space and Wanda turned to dust. I was in Wakanda. The Dora Milaje were there to support me."
Sam nodded in comprehension but then shook his head in disbelief.
"I'm so sorry. No one should go through what you did." He gave her a side hug. "Now, tell me. Did something happen when you and Bucky went after Zemo? You've been holding this pain inside for so long. So, I think something caused it to get set free."
Her green eyes lowered to the water in front of her. Now that she had the time to reflect on the situation, it felt silly that Bucky's rejection broke her walls.
"Bucky and I kissed."
Sam's gape of disbelief would be amusing if she weren't feeling so sorry for herself.
"Excuse me?!"
"I have feelings for him. We kissed. He said the kiss was a mistake. And here I am."
Lorna gave him a few moments to process her revelation. She dared say that telling him about the kiss shocked him more than her confession to two attempted suicides.
"Robot man with a staring problem? Really? Of all people?" She rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "He doesn't deserve you, kid."
"Funny," she scoffed. "I think I'm the one who doesn't deserve him."