ANOTHER LOVE [bucky barnes]

ONE

CHAPTER ONE
╰ the funeral

   IT KILLED LEAH INSIDE to know that the last conversation she had with her father was the one they had five years ago before she had evaporated into dust. When she was brought back— alongside everyone else— she had only just made her way to him when he died right in front of her eyes. She could still recall how the glow in his dark eyes died with him, leaving them empty and lifeless.

Everyone was gathered around the lake while Pepper spoke. Leah had a difficult time listening to the words that fell from her step-mother's lips. She kept hearing a ringing noise inside her head, the never-ending sound giving her a headache. Everything felt so far away and she had to remind herself that she was there and not somewhere else watching the scene. She only ever realized the ceremony was over when Steve touched her shoulder to ask if she was alright. Her hands rested in small fists by her sides. She hadn't cried. She looked stone cold, void of emotions.

«You know, he thought about you everyday,» Steve told the brunette. Most had started walking back to the wooden house, leaving the soft lake behind.

Leah slowly looked up at him, avoiding his eyes. She hadn't really spoken to him, or anyone else, since her father's death. She had kept herself hidden and closed off.

«You don't really know that. I'm sure you stayed away until the very end.» She finally spoke, her dark eyes meeting his.

Steve was taken aback, but he still managed to shoot her a warm smile. He saw a lot of Tony in her. After all, she was Tony's oldest daughter.

«I didn't have to talk to him or ask him to know that. I think you know that too,» Rogers told her, his hand softly squeezing her shoulder as they walked towards the house together.

Leah decided to not say anything. He had been like an uncle to her until her father and Steve had their fallout. She wanted to ask if they ever settled and figured everything out, but she decided not to. She figured she would have plenty of time to ask him later, unaware of his plans.

Once she joined the rest, Leah's eyes quickly fell onto Bucky. She struggled to understand why he was there and she couldn't help but wonder if he felt bad; if he felt guilty. He was hard to read and rarely said anything, especially not to her, but she figured he had his own reasons. Her eyes left his as Morgan made her way over to her. Leah bent down slowly, making sure her eyes were on the same height as hers. Her little sister whispered something inside her ear, but Leah was too out of it to even try to process it. She just smiled and nodded at the younger girl, brushing her hair back for her as she hoped Morgan wouldn't remember much of this day once she got older.

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