Blue || Bucky Barnes

6. Maybe She's Got A Friend

"Good morning." I walk into the hospital tent with a cup of water. The nurses greet me and resume whatever they're doing. There aren't any soldiers in need of attention so I sit down behind one of the small desks. There's a folded up newspaper on it which I pick up to read.
"Hello?" I'm interrupted from reading about the war news by a voice.
I look up and see James walking through the door. "Hi James- I mean Bucky, sorry." I stand up to meet him. "What can I do for you?"
"My arm, it doesn't feel quite right." He rolls it back and I hear so many clicks.
"May I?" I ask reaching out to inspect.
"Please." He blesses. I grasp onto his large shoulder and prod my fingers around his joints trying to see the problem. I come across a small bump which I push on and Bucky groans out.
"Okay." I whisper hovering my palm over his shoulder. After a couple seconds my hand jolts and it's almost like it pops back into place. "There you go." I smile.
"Thank you." He grins walking out the tent.

Narrator's POV

Over the next several days Bucky visits the hospital tent with a new injury. A gash on his hand, a lump on the back of his head from hitting it on his bunk, a fat lip from biting it and a black eye. And each time Leia heals him, no questions asked. She enjoys his daily visits quite frankly. He's one of the only constants in her life apart from Steve. No one has advanced just like Colonel Phillips said. The men were either training or resting until the next time they're needed.
Bucky would always stay a little after Leia healed him. They talk about anything and everything, getting to know each other much better. But frankly Bucky is doing most of the talking. Leia still hasn't found the courage to tell him about the most recent ten years of her life. She feels like she needs to do it soon though. She feels comfortable with him, which is new to her. And it's terrifying.

Leia's in the hospital tent awaiting, god forbid, another patient. She tends to mind her own business and let the other nurses interact together. Leia lived all of her teenage life stuck in a confined apartment. So while every other teenager in New York was out learning social skills she stared at the four walls of her bedroom.

Meanwhile Bucky is dragging Steve towards the hospital tent. They stop a couple yards from it and Bucky says, "Steve kick me in the ankle."
"What? Why would I do that?" Steve asks.
"Just do it, please!" Bucky says.
"Bucky I'm not going to do that. Why do you want me to do that anyway?"
"So I can go in and see Leia. Please Steve just do this for me." Bucky pleads his best friend.
"Fine." Steve steps back and lays a blow to Bucky's ankle.
"Uughh." He groans deeply.
"You okay Buck?" Steve rushes to his friends aid.
Bucky's voice is twisted as he speaks. "Yes I'm fine, thank you." And with that he limps into the tent to meet Leia. Steve just shakes his head as he walks off.

"Leia." Bucky calls out.
"Buck, my god are you okay?" Leia jumps up to help him to a bed.
"I'm fine, it's just my ankle." He says.
"What happened?" She asks while inspecting his already bruised and slightly misshapen limb.
"Steve kicked me." He chuckles lightly.
"Why would he do that?" Leia looks up at her friend with a smile.
"Because I asked him to." His smile is sheepish.
"Why Bucky?" Leia's now the one to chuckle.
"So I could come and see you." He breathes out. Leia's breath catches in her throat but she controls herself quickly. Hovering her hand over Bucky's ankle she starts to work the blue energy currents coming from her hands.

"You know you don't have to hurt yourself to come see me." She smiles while concentrating on his damaged ankle. Bucky doesn't say anything just watches Leia's movements.
The bruising fades and she pulls her hand away. "There you go." Leia smiles at him.
"Do you like being here?" Bucky asks quickly.
"It's better than where I was before." Leia blurts without even thinking.
"Where were you before?" He asks her. He notices her retreating demeanour and places a hand over hers lightly, comfortingly. She suddenly feels okay, safe, and she knows this is the right time to tell him. She can trust him.